A Small Bundle
by Paytonmaster101
Summary: Several months have passed since the fall of Beacon and Yang has been struggling to live day to day. After finding a new friend in the streets, will she learn to open up and cope with her depression? Slow burn Bumbleby.
1. A Rainy Day

Spring was one of the best times of the year in Patch. Tourists would come in waves as buds blossomed into an array of colors throughout the small island. The weather was on the chillier side this year, but the people still came. Many of them were aristocrats from Atlas or professors from the local academies. However, the numbers this year were much smaller due to the recent fall of Beacon.

Today was one of the slower days in town. The morning sun gave way to a massive storm in the afternoon. Yang Xiao Long, one of the only permanent residents in Patch, trudged through the street, soaked down to the skin. She decided to take a stroll through town earlier in the day to try and forget yesterday's training session. Her father kept telling her that she would improve and that she needed to keep trying, but all she heard was pity behind the words. Yang used to be one of the best huntresses in Vale. That was until she lost her right arm.

Now Yang was only a shadow of her former self, unable to keep up with even the local ruffians.

As she made her way through the downtown area, she couldn't help but curse herself for not bringing an umbrella. She could easily creep into one of the many stores that lined the street, but then she would have to talk to the keepers of the shop. She didn't want to talk to any of them at this point. She didn't want to hear another pity statement about her arm or about how they are "Sorry about Beacon".

She didn't want to be reminded of that day.

That day was the worst day she had ever faced. She lost her arm, her school, her confidence, and she lost _her_.

Yang growled in frustration as her partner's image came to mind. After the fight, Blake abandoned team RWBY. Blake abandoned _her_. That very thought sent a wave of anger through the blonde girl, her left hand baling in a fist. She turned and punched the building next to her, her fist slamming right into the brick. Her breaths were short and quick and her eyes glowed red for a moment. Yang removed her fist from the wall, pieces of brick falling down and littering the sidewalk.

 _Mew_

Yang's head snapped up and she looked up and down the street.

"What in the hell?..." she murmured, bringing her arm to her side.

 _Mew_.

There it was again. Yang followed the sound, taking her to the alley on the side of the brick building. She walked cautiously through the narrow walkway, looking for the source of the sound. Soon enough she came up to a large brown box, darkened from the rain.

 _Mew. Mew!_

Gently she opened the damp flap to the box and gasped. Inside there was a small black bundle of fur curled up in the only dry corner of the box. The creature immediately stood up, looking at the human with deep amber eyes.

"Just like her," Yang whispered, stepping away from the box with a huff. Memories of her once best friend began to come back to Yang. Orientation. Their first mission. Hanging out in the dorm. The food fight in the cafeteria.

Yang growled and stomped away. She didn't need this now. She didn't want to remember Blake. She clutched her chest as her heart cried in agony.

She didn't want to remember the partner she loved.

 _Mew?_

The small kitten cried out, standing on her back paws to look over the top of the box. Yang turned back and narrowed her eyes at the creature.

"What do you want?!" she cried, small tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

The kitten tilted her head to the side in confusion. Yang walked up to the box and looked down at the small kitten. Her eyes were again glowing red and she was shaking uncontrollably. She was about to unleash her fury of words when she noticed a small nick in the kitten's ear. She knelt down and looked the small bundle over a bit closer. The kitten was lifting her left back leg, wincing whenever she dared to put it down.

Yang carefully picked up the small kitten, lifting her up to Yang's face. That's when she noticed the large gash on the kitten's left flank.

"She looks like she was in a nasty fight," Yang said, looking over the rest of the rest of the kitten's body finding small cuts all over.

 _Mew?_

The kitten looked at Yang with pleading eyes. The young girl stared at the kitten for a moment, memories of her partner still flooding her mind. Yang then pushed the kitten under the flap of her jacket, cradling the small bundle of fur with her left hand.

"It's okay, little guy. Yang's here. You're safe now."


	2. Injuries

The storm raged on through the afternoon and into the night. It took over an hour for Yang to reach her home on the outskirts of town. The walk was usually calm and easy, but the torrential downpour created small lakes in the road and the wind blew down small trees and branches to obscure the only dry parts of the path. Yang did her best to keep her semblance going to keep the small bundle warm. She stopped several times to check on the little girl and adjust her position so that she was snug up against her chest. There were times when the little kitten rasped a mew along the way, but otherwise, she was silent.

Upon arrival, Yang proceeded to kick down the door. She didn't have much of a choice since her only hand was occupied. Taiyang was away for the night at Signal checking up on his student's studies. The Signal students loved Zwei, the resident corgi on Patch, so Taiyang decided to bring the pup to school this time.

One final kick spelled the end to the lock that kept Yang outside. She burst into the house, frantically looking around for something to keep her new friend warm. She spotted a red blanket cast off on the side of the couch and ran to it. It was well loved, showing its age through the many tears and stains that littered its fuzzy surface. It once belonged to Ruby, but after one too many washes she decided to let it go. Yang found it right before it was going to be taken to the donation bin. Even though Ruby had outgrown it, Yang was still attached to the little piece of Ruby's childhood.

Yang placed the small kitten on the blanket, wrapping her around the cloth to warm her. She then ran to the bathroom in search of supplies to heal the fresh wound on the kitten's flank. Opening the cabinet with haste, she began tearing through the supplies until she came upon the first aid kit. It was limited, but it would have to do. She stuffed the kit under her arm and proceeded to fill a small paper cup with water. Luckily she got one class of first aid under her belt at Beacon.

It was a long hour before she could get the wound closed. The kitten stayed still for most of the stitching procedure, purring to keep her body calm. Yang stepped back looked over her one-handed job. It wasn't easy and it was nowhere near perfect, but it would save the kitten from infection and that's all that mattered to her. The young girl sighed and walked to the kitchen to clean herself up. As soon as she turned on the faucet she heard a tiny sound. She turned around and saw the little kitten shaking on her four paws.

"Oh no, stay down little guy," Yang called back, rushing back to the living room. She knelt down and looked the kitten in the eyes. They were full of life and determination. Yang tried to push the little creature back down, but the kitten stayed standing.

"I can already tell you are a fighter," she murmured, giving the kitten a small smile. "You and her are one in the same."

Yang stood back up and stretched her arms. She was tired and was a mess after the long day. The kitten copied Yang, stretching her back and kneading the worn cloth below her. Yang sighed, realizing that the once treasured blanket was no longer hers. It was covered in fur and drops of blood and the cat was already making it her new nest.

Yang started to walk towards her room, stopping once more to look back at her new houseguest.

"I think I'll call you Kuro," she said, the kitten's ears perking at the sound of her new name.

"Goodnight, Kuro. See you in the morning."

She moved into her room, leaving the door open for the first time since she was home. Without undressing, the young woman flopped on her bed and shut her eyes. After a few moments, she felt her bed jump and the distinct sound of purring. Kuro padded over to her, nestling her head under the brawler's left arm and then flopping down on the bed.

For the first night since the fall of Beacon, Yang slept without a single nightmare.

Light filtered in through the blinds and the small sounds of songbirds could be heard in the distance. Yang's eyes fluttered open, stretching her arms up and above her head to wake her up.

"Good morning, Kuro," she murmured lazily, lifting her head to try and see her new friend.

"Kuro?" She looked around the bed and saw no sign of the black kitten.

"Kuro?!" She sat up fast and ran to the living room. She looked on the blanket, looked under the sofa, around the kitchen, and even in the bathroom, but there was no sign of the kitten anywhere.

That's when she looked to the front foyer. She had forgotten that she kicked it down the night before. Reality struck her when she saw that the door was open slightly with the morning rays shining into the dim house.

Kuro was gone.


End file.
